Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Mette Henriette Martedatter Rølvåg: Mette Henriette (2015)

In her debut recording with the large Norwegian ensemble Torg on Kost/Elak/Gnäll
(Jazzland Recordings, 2015), the playing of saxophonist Mette Henriette
Martedatter Rølvåg may well have been lost in the pack. That Bugge Wesseltoft
produced album was an unrestrained mashup of genres, styles and
techniques in an octet that didn't easily lend itself to individual
performance analysis. Not surprisingly, it was ECM's Manfred Eicher who recognized Rølvåg's extraordinary talent and paved the the way to this two-disc, self-titled leader debut.

The young composer—only in her mid-twenties—has already worked with Tim Berne, Jim Black, Michael Formanek, Tom Rainey, Sidsel Endresen and Christian Wallumrod. On Mette Henriette
Rølvåg works with her trio of pianist Johan Lindvall and cellist
Katrine Schiøtt on the first disc. The second disc features her thirteen
member ensemble including trumpeter Eivind Lønning and drummer Per
Oddvar Johansen, both of whom have recorded with Wallumrød as well as
members of the Cikada Quartet.

There are thirty-five mostly
compact compositions between the two discs with all but three (those
written by Lindvall) being credited to Rølvåg. Much of the trio disc is
intricately structured and conveys a sense of vulnerability. The three
opening pieces "So," ."oOo."and "The Taboo" are quite minimal and is not
before Schiøtt's extended cello technique on "But Careful" that we are
nudged to closer attention. Rølvåg does not push her own playing to the
forefront, leaving much of that role to Lindvall. If fact, it is not
until Linvall's composition "3-4-5" (nine tracks along) that Rølvåg
takes center stage. When she does, it is soulful and inspiring. The trio
takes on some lightly experimental soundscapes, especially on "A Void"
and "In Circle" but here too, the music is appealing and accessible.

The
second disc gives little impression of a larger ensemble at the outset.
"Passé" again with Lindvall on piano and features he and Rølvåg in a
beautiful melancholy creation. The strings almost inperceptively work
their way in as the piece develops. Again, Rølvåg pulls back to give the
strings "Pearl Rafter" and "Veils Ever After." Lønning's trumpet and
Henrik Nørstebø's trombone shine on the regal "Unfold," albeit, for all
of its forty seconds. "Wildheart"—true to the name—erupts with Rølvåg's
growling sax and a brass improvisation all in contrast to the largely
meditative tone of the album.

About twenty tracks in we get a
sense of that Rølvåg has been working toward building from disparate
themes and segments. The edginess of "Late à la carte" gives way to a
classically inspired "So It Is" and that, in turn to a very experimental
"?." By the time we get to the beautiful "But We Did" it becomes clear
how Rølvåg is integrating her many ideas onto broader palettes. The
longest track on Mette Henriette, "I," begins in tranquility,
explodes in improvisation and then returns to quiet. Many of the tracks
on the album are brief splashes of tonal color not to develop fully but
to provide flavor. Five tracks are less than a minute in length and few
go beyond five minutes. The lack of a drummer in the trio formation
gives the music a quality of lightness even while the overall atmosphere
skews dark.

The compositions rendered by the two formations are
perfectly compatible with each other and there is a natural flow from
trio to ensemble. Rølvåg's compositions are geared toward the
musicianship of the overall group rather than providing a showcase for
her own considerable skills as a musician and there is little to suggest
that the composer is heavily influence by outside forces. Mette Henriette is original and unique and should generate much anticipation around Rølvåg's future projects.